Compositions and methods for controlling pest insects

ABSTRACT

Compositions of xanthine and mercapto-allopurinol and methods of using same, for controlling the growth of pest insects which salvage, store, or excrete their nitrogenous wastes via the purine metabolic pathway.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/595,899, filed Feb. 6, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,601,issued Jun. 23, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/291,072, filed Aug. 17, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No.5,514,681, issued May 7, 1996, each of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to the regulation of the growth ofpest insects which utilize the purine metabolic pathway to salvage,store, or excrete their nitrogenous wastes. It comprises bringing intocontact with the pest insects, formulations containinggrowth-controlling amounts of compositions comprising purines, purinemetabolic-enzyme inhibitors, and inhibitors of enzymes which regulateproduction of specific co-factors of this pathway.

2. Description of the Background Art

Despite the recent development and great promise of each advancedinsect-controlling techniques as chemical sterilants, pheromones, andecologically-based control strategies, the use of chemical insecticidesstill plays a predominant role. However, rising public awareness ofenvironmental issues, more stringent government regulations, andincreasing insect resistance to conventional modalities are driving thepest control industry to seek safer alternatives to these conventionalchemical insecticides.

Others have attempted to identify and evaluate the efficacy of insectgrowth inhibitors. However, given the continuous need for increasedselectivity and effectiveness of insect control agents, it becamedesirable to engage in rational formulation of control agents based onan understanding of key insect nutritional and metabolic pathways.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is widely acknowledged that the majority of insects are uricotelic inthat they excrete their excess nitrogen as uric acid and uricolyticderivatives thereof (Cochran (1975), "Excretion in Insects" in InsectBiochemistry and Function pp. 171-281). The uric acid is synthesized,via the purine catabolic pathway shown in FIG. 1, and is either excretedto the outside, or, in some cases, stored by the insect as a metabolicreserve.

Cockroaches are a good model of the essential nature ofstorage-excretion of uric acid. For example, in German cockroaches, aslurry of uric acid is passed to the female during mating, as a paternalinvestment. The female, in turn, invests the developing eggs with asupply of uric acid that is used during embryogenesis (Mullins & Keil(1980), Nature 183: 567-569). Interruption of this vital cycle appearshighly detrimental to cockroach population growth, which depends heavilyon these uric acid stores (Engebretson & Mullins (1986), Comp. Biochem.Physiol. 83B: 93-97; Suiter et al. (1992), J. Econ. Entomol. 85(1):117-122). In the cockroach fat body, de novo synthesis of uric acidtakes place, largely through purine salvage, in the trophocytes and theuric acid is stored in specialized urocytes for recycling (Cochran(1985), Ann. Rev. Entomol. 30: 29-49). This is accomplished throughuricolytic digestion of the stored urates by endosymbiont bacteria whichare sequestered in bacteriocyte cells adjacent to the urocytes (Wren &Cochran (1987), Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 88B: 1023-1026). In this part ofthe uric acid cycle, the endosymbiont bacteria use xanthinedehydrogenase to reduce the urates to xanthine, and disruption of anypart of this system also inhibits population growth.

Another essential facet of insect physiology is the molt cycle, when thecuticular epithelial cells multiply and synthesize a new, largerexoskeleton just prior to ecdysis (Chapman (1982), The Insects Structureand Function. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; Hepburn(1985), "The Integument" in Fundamentals of Insect Physiology. Ed. M. S.Blum, pp. 139-183. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). At the same time,many of the internal tissues are growing, as in cockroaches where, forexample, development of the internal and external reproductive organsprogresses with each stage, culminating at the final molt to thesexually mature adult (Chapman (1982) The Insects Structure andFunction, Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University Press). During thisprocess, insects draw heavily on their metabolic reserves to achieve therapid growth of cells which takes place.

The purine metabolic pathway is central to all of these processes, and,thus, to homeostasis of insects. As in any of the known biochemicalpathways, the hydrolytic enzymes and their co-factors are essential tothe functioning of the purine degradative pathway. This pathway alsoserves to salvage the free purine bases for re-use in nucleotide andnucleic acid biosynthesis (Lehninger (1970) Biochemistry: The MolecularBasis of Cell Structure and Function. 2nd Ed. pp. 740-742).

Two of the enzymes involved in this pathway are xanthine oxidase anddihydrofolate reductase (also known as tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase).Xanthine oxidase (E.C. 1.2.3.2), a molybdenum iron sulfur flavo-enzyme,functions late in the salvage pathway of purine catabolism fromguanosine monophosphate and inosine monophosphate to xanthine, andfinally, to uric acid. In this pathway, xanthine oxidase catalyzes boththe conversion of hypoxanthine to xanthine, and the conversion ofxanthine to uric acid (Coughlan (1980) Molybdenum andMolybdenum-Containing Enzymes. New York: Pergamon Press). Functioning asxanthine dehydrogenase, the same enzyme reduces uric acid to xanthine inthe uricolytic pathway of the endosymbiont bacteria in the cockroach fatbody (Wren & Cochran (1987), Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 88B: 1023-1026).Dihydrofolate reductase catalyzes the synthesis of tetrahydrofolate,which is an essential co-factor in the uric acid and purine synthesispathways (Kucers & Bennett (1979), "Trimethoprim and Cotrimoxazole" inThe Use of Antibiotics. 3rd Ed. London: William Heinemann Medical Books,Ltd.).

An understanding of these insect systems, which rely on the recyclingand excretion of their purines, led to the present invention, whichprovides novel compositions and methods for disrupting insecthomeostasis and inhibiting insect population growth. Thus, in oneembodiment, these compositions comprise (1) a purine such as guanine(2-amino-1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-one); hypoxanthine(1,7-dihydro-6H-purin-6-one); xanthine(3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione), or uric acid, and mixtures thereof,and (2) a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, preferably one of thepyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine group, such as oxypurinol(4,6-dihydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine); allopurinol(4-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine); mercapto-allopurinol(4-hydroxy-6-mercaptopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine);4-mercapto-6-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine;4,6-dimercaptopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine; or4-amino-6-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine; and mixtures thereof. Inanother embodiment, these compositions comprise (1) a purine; (2) axanthine oxidase inhibitor; and (3) a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitorsuch as trimethoprim (2,4-diamino-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidine),methotrexate(N-[4-[[(2,4-diamino-6-pteridinyl)methyl]methylamino]benzoyl]-L-glutamicacid), or pyrimethamine(5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-ethyl-2,4-pyrimidinediamine), and mixturesthereof.

While specific purines in combination with specific enzyme inhibitorsare utilized to illustrate the present invention, it is understood thatany of the purines and inhibitors of any of the enzymes of the pathwayof FIG. 1 may be applied according to the present invention.

Furthermore, while the cockroach is utilized to illustrate the presentinvention, it is understood that the compositions and methods of thepresent invention may be applied to regulate the growth of any pestinsect which utilizes the purine metabolic pathway to salvage, store, orexcrete to the outside, its nitrogen wastes.

A further embodiment of the invention comprises an insect bait orattractant formulation containing an insect-growth-regulating effectiveamount of the compositions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the pathway for purine catabolism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is predicated on the discovery that ingestion offormulations containing growth controlling amounts of certain novelcompositions by pest insects, particularly cockroaches, disruptshomeostasis and inhibits population growth.

The compositions of the present invention may be the sole activeingredients of the formulation or they may be admixed with one or moreadditional active ingredients, such as other, conventional insecticides.

The compositions of the present invention may be formulated with a"bait" or "attractant." For purposes of description of the presentinvention, these terms refer to any formulation to which pest insectsare attracted and which they will ingest. Such compositions arewell-known to those skilled in the art and it will be understood thatany such material which is inert with respect to the compositions of thepresent invention may be employed in the practice of the invention.

In use, the formulations may be applied to the pest insects, to thelocus of the pest insects, and/or to the habitat of the pest insects.

The following examples are included for purposes of illustration onlyand are not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise specified.

EXAMPLE 1 General Procedure

Unless otherwise specified, German cockroaches (Blattella germinica L.)from the stock laboratory "VPI" strain were used to form experimentalcolonies of mixed life stages. Unless otherwise specified, each insectcolony of 42 insects contained five each of newly post-emergent adultmales and females, eight each of male and female nymphs at the fifthnymphal stage, and eight each of male and female nymphs at the thirdnymphal stage. Care was taken to select insects from the same stockcolonies for each experimental block, and each colony was allowed toacclimatize for twenty-four (24) hours prior to treatment.

The colonies were housed in one-gallon glass battery jars fitted withfiber-board platforms, with clean tap-water offered continuously incotton-stoppered glass vials. The jars were rimmed with a thin coatingof petrolatum, and covered closely with three layers of cheesecloth heldin place with strong elastic bands. These measures prevented escape ofthe test insects, as well as contamination by other insects.

Each test included "control" colonies, in which the food was untreated,and "test" colonies, in which the food was mixed with the compositionsbeing tested to form percent concentrations by weight (w/w). Unlessotherwise specified, the food was Agway Laboratory Rat Chow and preparedby grinding the chow pellets to a fine powder and, for test colonies,incorporating the test compositions by grinding and mixing them with thechow, using a mortar and pestle. In some cases, as specified more fullyin the examples, the test compositions were incorporated into food whichconsisted of an inert bait base, which would be known to one of ordinaryskill in the art, or a 50% (w/w) inert bait-base+rat chow composition.Food, either treated or untreated, was preweighed in stainless steelplanchettes and offered with the planchettes placed in plastic cups, toavoid loss through spillage. During tests, the planchettes were weighedweekly and food replenished when necessary.

Replicate colonies were initiated on consecutive days, with all colonieshoused in stock laboratory under the same conditions of ambienttemperature (25° C.), and humidity as during rearing. A control "blankcolony", which was identical to a control colony except that no insectswere included, was monitored for less or gain of moisture in the fooddue to changes in ambient humidity. Any such changes were factored intothe calculation of food consumption.

A record was kept of all dead insects, which were counted and sexedweekly when the food was weighed. Dead insects were frozen and stored at-4° C. prior to being subjected to a whole-body uric acid assay. Unlessotherwise specified, the total population of each colony was countedevery three (3) weeks. When all of the insects, or all of the females,were dead or moribund, the colony was determined to be non-viable andthe experiment was terminated. Remaining insects were killed by freezingand stored frozen, as above, to await assaying for uric acid.

Food consumption, in milligrams per individual cockroach (ICmg), wascalculated for the first three (3) weeks of the experiment, prior tonymphs hatching. The mean percent change (Δ%) in population number foreach colony was calculated, with the initial number (42) representing100%. These measurements determined whether the test compositions wereingested, and whether such compositions were effective in inhibitingpopulation growth.

EXAMPLE 2 Uric Acid Assay

Determination of the whole-body uric acid content of the deadcockroaches was conducted essentially according to a standard uricaseassay (Cochran (1973) Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A46: 490-419). Individualcockroaches, with wings and legs trimmed off, were dried for 24-48 hoursat 60° C., weighed, and ground to a fine powder. Uric acid was extractedfrom the dry tissue with 0.6% aqueous lithium carbonate for three (3)hours at 60° C. with continuous shaking. The extracts were centrifugedto remove tissue debris. After mixing with uricase, the maximumabsorption at 292 nm was determined spectrophotometrically, and uricacid concentration was calculated in μg uric acid/mg of dry tissue.

EXAMPLE 3 Assessment of Xanthine Food Compositions

In two experiments (3a) and (3b), the effects of adding 1% xanthine[Sigma Chemical Co.] to the basic cockroach diet of ground rat chow,were studied. The colonies in each experiment were set up as describedin Example I, with the diets being either rat chow alone (RC), or ratchow+1% xanthine (RCX). Each experiment included three replicatecolonies for each condition (n=3).

The populations were counted at 6 and 9 weeks (3a) or 10 and 12 weeks(3b), and the percent change in mean population numbers (Δ%) wascalculated. Mean individual consumption (ICmg) of the diets for thefirst three weeks of treatment was calculated from the food-weight data.

The results are shown in Table 1a. The addition of xanthine appearedneither to inhibit feeding nor to adversely affect population growth. Infact, xanthine appeared to enhance reproduction, as population numberswere higher in xanthine-treated colonies than in those fed rat chowalone.

                                      TABLE 1a                                    __________________________________________________________________________    EXPERIMENT 3a         EXPERIMENT 3b                                           ICmg                  ICmg                                                    TIME                                                                              (±SEM)                                                                              Δ%(8)                                                                            (±SEM)                                                                              Δ%                                       (wks)                                                                             RC   RCX RC   RCX RC   RCX RC  RCX                                        __________________________________________________________________________    3   55.8 55.3         58.0 57.9                                                   (±0.9)                                                                          (±2.7)    (±0.4)                                                                          (±0.8)                                          6            +224%                                                                              +278%                                                       9            +707%                                                                              +921%                                                       10                             +1405%                                                                            +1433%                                     12                             +1774%                                                                            +1869%                                     __________________________________________________________________________     (*)+ = increase                                                               Table 1a: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%     in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German            cockroaches administered offered food without (RC) or with 1% xanthine        (RCX). n = 3                                                             

In an additional experiment (3c), German cockroaches from the VPIstrain, and colonies of German cockroaches of the Hawthorne strain knownto be resistant to insecticides commonly used for cockroach control,were prepared essentially as described in Example 1. The dietsadministered were either rat chow+1% (w/w) xanthine (RCX), or 50% (w/w)rat chow and bait base+1% xanthine (RCBBX), or bait base+1% xanthine(BBX).

The results are shown in Table 1b. As in experiments 3a and 3b, theaddition of xanthine appeared neither to inhibit feeding nor toadversely affect population growth.

                                      TABLE lb                                    __________________________________________________________________________    TIME      VPI STRAIN    HAWTHORNE STRAIN                                      (wks)                                                                              TEST RCX  RCBBX                                                                             BBX  RCX RCBBX                                                                              BBX                                          __________________________________________________________________________    3    ICmg 19   23  27   18  22   27                                                (±SEM)                                                                           (±1.5)                                                                         (±0.9)                                                                         (±0.6)                                                                          (±0.3)                                                                         (±1.7)                                                                           (±0.3)                                   3    % TOTAL                                                                                 27%                                                                               34%                                                                            39%        33%                                                                                40%                                       6    Δ%                                                                           +441%         +933%                                                 __________________________________________________________________________     Table lb:Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%)     in mean population numbers over time (weeks), in colonies of German           cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain, and of the Hawthorne resistant     strain, offered a choice of diets with 1% xanthine (w/w) in ground rat        chow alone (RCX),  #in ground rat chow and bait base, mixed 50/50 (RCBBX)     or in bait base alone (BBX). The ratio of each mixture consumed is given      as a percent of the total amount eaten (% TOTAL).                             (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                                       

EXAMPLE 4 Assessment of Xanthine-Oxypurinol Compositions

Colonies of German cockroaches were prepared as described. The dietsadministered were rat chow alone (RC); rat chow with oxypurinol [SigmaChemical Co.] (RC+OXY %) at two concentrations (w/w); and rat chow with1% xanthine (RCX) and with oxypurinol (+OXY %) at five concentrations(w/w). Mean individual consumption (ICmg), percent change in colonypopulation numbers, and whole-body uric acid concentrations weredetermined, as previously described.

Mean individual consumption (ICmg) in the first three weeks wascalculated, and the results shown in Table 2a below. The addition ofoxypurinol alone caused a decrease in food consumption over controls feduntreated food. The addition of xanthine to the diet caused theconsumption of oxypurinol-treated food to increase by 35% at 0.1%oxypurinol concentration, and by 56% at the 1.0% oxypurinolconcentration.

                                      TABLE 2a                                    __________________________________________________________________________    ICmg              ICmg                                                        (±SEM)         (±SEM)                                                   XANTHINE 0%       XANTHINE 1%                                                 TIME     RC + OXY%                                                                              RC + OXY%                                                   (wks)                                                                             RC   0.1 1.0  0.1 0.5  1.0 2.0 3.0                                        __________________________________________________________________________    3   53.7 36  32   48.5                                                                              58.3 49.9                                                                              52.6                                                                              45.6                                           (±2.0)                                                                          n = 1                                                                             n = 1                                                                              (±1.4)                                                                         (±0.8)                                                                          (±1.9)                                                                         (±1.5)                                                                         n = 1                                          n = 9*        n = 6                                                                             n = 3                                                                              n = 6                                                                             n = 6                                          __________________________________________________________________________     *n = number of colonies                                                       Table 2a: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) of rat chow over three weeks     with or without 1% xanthine, and with various concentrations (w/w) of         oxypurinol (OXY%).                                                       

The percent changes (Δ%) in mean colony population numbers at 5.5, 6, 7,9, 10 and 12 weeks of treatment were determined as described, with theresults shown in Table 2b below. The addition of oxypurinol alone to thediet did not inhibit population growth. The addition of xanthine plusoxypurinol inhibited population growth to the point of extinction.

                                      TABLE 2b                                    __________________________________________________________________________    XANTHINE 0%                                                                   RC                XANTHINE 1%                                                 TIME                                                                              CON- RC + OXY%                                                                              RC + OXY%                                                   (wks)                                                                             TROL 0.1 1.0  0.1 0.5  1.0 2.0 3.0                                        __________________________________________________________________________    5.5 +690%                                                                              +460%                                                                             +1060%                                                               n = 1                                                                              n = 1                                                                             n = 1                                                            6   +126%         -31%                                                                              -50% -5% -11%                                                                              -55%                                           n = 5                                                                     9   +812%         -92%                                                                              -92% -64%                                                                              -77%                                                                              -88%                                           n = 5                                                                     7   +719%         -64%     -75%                                                                              -69%                                           10  +1405%        -91%     -98%                                                                              -98%                                           12  +1774%        -94%     -100%                                                                             -100%                                          __________________________________________________________________________     Table 2b: Percent changes (+ or - Δ%) in mean population number, in     colonies of German cockroaches offered food with or without 1% xanthine,      and with various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY%), over time         (weeks). Except where noted, n = 3.                                      

Whole-body uric acid concentrations were calculated from standarduricase assays for cockroaches that died during weeks 5-9 of treatment.Samples from the VPI laboratory strain of German cockroaches also wereassayed to show typical "base-line" levels of urates before treatment.

As shown in Table 2c below, females in the VPI strain typically exhibita slightly higher uric acid level than males, regardless of stage.However, as shown in Tables 2d-2f below, after several weeks of feedingwith xanthine and oxypurinol in the diet, there is marked decline inwhole-body urate concentration in all groups regardless of age or sex.

                  TABLE 2c                                                        ______________________________________                                                                      URIC ACID                                                              AGE    μg/mg                                        STAGE   GENDER         (wks)  (±SEM)                                       ______________________________________                                        adult   males          6-7    1.80                                                    n = 9                 (±0.12)                                              females               2.41                                                     n = 10                (±0.06)                                     nymph    males            5-6              2.34                                       n = 10                   (+0.10)                                              females                  2.44                                                 n = 10                   (+0.22)                                      nymph   males            3-4        0.77                                               n = 10                  (±0.10)                                            females               1.51                                                   n = 10                  (±0.10)                                    ______________________________________                                         Table 2c: Mean, wholebody uric acid concentrations (μg/mg of dry tissu     weight, ±SEM), in different age and gender groups of the VPI laborator     strain of German cockroaches that are typical of those used in the feedin     experiments.                                                             

                  TABLE 2d                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                     RCX + OXY %                                          (wks)    RC      0.1         1.0   2.0                                        ______________________________________                                        5        2.42    0.54        0.32  0.31                                                (±0.12)                                                                              (±0.05)                                                                               (±0.06)                                                                         (±0.05)                                          n = 5   n = 25      n = 17                                                                              n = 17                                     6         2.79   0.43           0.30                                                                              0.27                                               (±0.21)                                                                             (±0.04) (±0.04)                                                                           (±0.03)                                         n = 4   n = 32       n = 35                                                                               n = 26                                   7         2.78   0.54         0.25 0.21                                                 (±0.25)                                                                           (±0.10)   (±0.04)                                                                         (±0.04)                                          n = 6    n = 8      n = 14                                                                               n = 12                                    9        3.16    0.51        0.14  0.32                                                (±0.06)                                                                                         (±0.04)                                                                          (±0.10)                                         n = 10  n = 1        n = 7                                                                                n = 3                                    ______________________________________                                         Table 2d: Mean wholebody uric acid concentrations (μg/mg dry tissue        weight ±SEM) in male German cockroaches on food without (RC), or with,     1% xanthine (RCX) and various percent concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol      (OXY%).                                                                  

                  TABLE 2e                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RCX + OXY%                                                   (wks)    RC      0.1         1.0   2.0                                        ______________________________________                                        5        2.63    0.31        0.31  0.28                                                               (±0.13)-.0.14)                                                                               (±0.08)                                                      n = 6n = 3                                                                                     n = 7                            6                          0.31                                                                                            0.35                                                     (±0.03)-.0.04)                                                                               (±0.06)                                                      n = 27 = 4                                                                                     n = 18                           7                          0.43                                                                                            0.26                                                     (±0.04)                                                                           (±0.04)                                                                            (±0.06)                                                   n = 24   n = 23                                                                                n = 14                                 9                          0.21                                                                                            0.34                                                        (±0.03)                                                                         (±0.04)                                                                           (±0.05)                                                   n = 21   n = 14                                                                               n = 13                                  ______________________________________                                         Table 2e: Mean wholebody uric acid concentrations (μg/mg dry tissue        weight ±SEM) in female German cockroaches on food without (RC), or         with, 1% xanthine (RCX) and various percent concentrations (w/w) of           oxypurinol (OXY%).                                                       

                  TABLE 2f                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RCX + OXY%                                                   (wks)    RC      0.1         1.0   2.0                                        ______________________________________                                        5        1.95    0.53        0.32                                                      (±0.36)                                                                            (±0.04)     (±0.18)                                              n = 4             n = 3                                                                                     n = 2                                 6                                    0.08                                                                 (±0.09)                                                                              (±0.06)                                                                5                                                                                 n = 2                                   7                      14               0.13                                                       (±0.03)                                                                                       (±0.08)                                                  n = 4             n = 2                                 9                      26               0.14                                                        n = 1             n = 1                                 ______________________________________                                         Table 2f: Mean wholebody uric acid concentrations (μg/mg dry tissue        weight ±SEM) in German cockroach nymphs offered food without (RC), or      with, 1% xanthine (RCX) and various percent concentrations (w/w) of           oxypurinol (OXY%).                                                       

In additional experiments, replicate colonies were prepared essentiallyas described in Example 1. The diets administered were rat chow+baitbase alone (RCBB); rat chow+bait base+1% xanthine (RCBBX) and oxypurinol(OXY) at two concentrations; and bait base+1% xanthine (BBX) andoxypurinol (OXY) at two concentrations.

Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%) in meanpopulation number were determined over time (weeks). The results areshown in Table 2g below.

                  TABLE 2g                                                        ______________________________________                                                   CONTROL   1% OXY      2% OXY                                       TIME  TEST     RCBB      RCBBX BBX   RCBBX BBX                                ______________________________________                                        3     ICmg     64        50    41    47    42                                                   (±1.6)                                                                            (±1.3)                                                                             (±1.5)                                                                            (±3.5)                                                                         (±1.3)                         3           Δ%                                                                               -10%                                                                                   -14%                                                                                -64%                                                                              -36%                                                                               -69%                             6           Δ%                                                                              +798%                                                                                  -94%                                                                                -100%                                                                               -96%                                                                               -100%                           ______________________________________                                         Table 2g: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent changes             (Δ%) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of        German cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered diets without        xanthine or diets with 1% xanthine (X), and 1% or 2% oxypurinol (OXY). Th     foods were rat chow and bait base 50/50 (RCBB), or bait base alone (BB).      (n = 3; 100% = 42)                                                       

A rapid population decline and extinction was observed in the treatedcolonies, compared with the untreated controls. Although the meanindividual consumption was slightly lower in those colonies administeredtreated bait-base compositions, deleterious effects occurred morerapidly than in colonies administered treated rat chow (Table 2b). Inthe present experiment, the amounts of oxypurinol ingested in the firstthree weeks were 500 μg and 410 μg in the respective foods at 1%oxypurinol, and 940 μg and 840 μg respectively, at 2% oxypurinol.

In yet further experiments, replicate colonies of German cockroacheswere prepared essentially as described in Example 1. The dietsadministered were rat chow alone (RC); bait base alone (BB); baitbase+xanthine (BBX) and two concentrations of oxypurinol (OXY); ratchow+xanthine at three concentrations (RCX) and oxypurinol (OXY) atthree concentrations.

The results are shown in Table 2h below.

                                      TABLE 2h                                    __________________________________________________________________________    TIME    RC or BB                                                                            BBX 0.5%  RCX 1%                                                                             RCX 2%                                                                             RCX 3%                                      (wks)                                                                             TEST                                                                              CONTROLS                                                                            OXY .5%                                                                            OXY 1%                                                                             OXY .5%                                                                            OXY 2%                                                                             OXY 3%                                      __________________________________________________________________________    3   ICmg                                                                              49    29   33   58   47   45                                                   (±1.2)M)                                                                            (±0.3)                                                                      (±0.7)                                                                          (±0.8)                                                                            (±1.1)                                                                         (±0.3)                                  3             -4%                                                                                -32%                                                                            -50%                                                                                -12%                                                                               -11%                                                                               -21%                                     6          +213%%                                                                                -96%                                                                            -82%                                                                                -48%                                                                               -50%                                                                               -50%                                     9          +722%%                                                                                -100%                                                                          -99%                                                                                 -92%                                                                               -88%                                                                               -86%                                     __________________________________________________________________________     Table 2h: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%     in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German             cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain administered either untreated       rat chow (RC) or bait base (BB), or these foods treated with various          concentrations (w/w) of xanthine (X) ranging from 0.5% to 3%, and with        various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol ranging frorn 0.5% to 3%. (n =     5 untreated, n = 3 treated, 100% = 42)                                   

As illustrated in Table 2h, population control was achieved in all ofthe treated colonies. However, the rate of population decline wasslowest in the colonies fed the higher concentrations of xanthine andoxypurinol (2% and 3%), although mean individual consumption for thesegroups matched those of the untreated controls. The fastest declines inpopulation were observed in those colonies with the lowest consumptionrate and which had been administered diets containing 0.5% xanthine andeither 0.5% or 1.0% oxypurinol in a bait-base composition. Highestconsumption was observed in colonies administered a diet of 1% xanthineand 0.5% oxypurinol, with reduction in population moderate as to time.The amount of oxypurinol and xanthine ingested individually ranged from145 μg to 1,350 μg over the first three weeks in these trials.

EXAMPLE 5 Assessment of Xanthine-Oxypurinol Compositions Offered forDifferent Durations

Colonies were prepared essentially as described in Example 1. The dietsadministered were rat chow alone (RC) and rat chow+1% xanthine (RCX)plus oxypurinol (OXY) at three concentrations. The food was offered fordurations of either 24 hours, or 1, 2, or 3 weeks. At the end of thetreatment time, the treated food was removed, and the insects wereoffered untreated rat chow for the remainder of the test time.

As shown in Table 3a below, a minimum dose of oxypurinol must beingested over time to achieve population inhibition. For example, the24-hour treatment affected population numbers when compared with thecontrol, but did not control population numbers at any concentration ofoxypurinol. Calculation revealed that the individual consumption ofoxypurinol ingested during this time ranged from 6 μg to 104 μg.

                  TABLE 3a                                                        ______________________________________                                        TREATMENT TIME              RCX + OXY%                                        DURATION  (wks)   RC        0.1   1.0    2.0                                  ______________________________________                                        24 hours  6       +500%     +250% +114%  +109%                                1 week            6                                                                                      +887%                                                                                      -45%                                                                                   -49%                                                    +1157%                                                                                     -63%                                                                                   -57%                                                   +1580%                                                                                               -31%                         2 weeks           9                                                                                      +591%                                                                                       -65%                                                                                  -90%                                                   +750%                                                                                       -66%                                                                                   -94%                                                   >+750%                                                                                      -45%                                                                                   -96%                         3 weeks           6                                                                                      +391%                                                                                       -71%                                                                                  -92%                                                    +1050%                                                                                      -92%                                                                                  -97%                                                   +1604%                                                                                       -96%                                                                                  -98%                         ______________________________________                                         Table 3a: Percent change (+ or -) in mean population numbers in colonies      fed a diet of rat chow alone (RC), or rat chow combined with 1% xanthine      (RCX), and with various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY%).            Duration of treatments was 24 hrs, or 1, 2, or 3 weeks, after which rat       chow alone was offered. n = 3.                                           

Treatment with 0.1% oxypurinol for one or two weeks also resulted inloser population numbers when compared with controls, and delayedegg-hatch by 1-2 weeks, but the treated colonies were recovering whenthey were terminated at 12 weeks. However, three (3) weeks of treatmentat 0.1% oxypurinol did cause a substantial reduction in populationnumbers in the weeks following treatment, with no recovery noted by 12weeks, and with only one viable egg case, which hatched six weeks laterthan normal.

Colonies treated for two (2) weeks with 2% oxypurinol, or for three (3)weeks with 1% or 2% oxypurinol did not recover, even when the "recovery"time was extended to fifteen (15) weeks. Mean individual consumption ofoxypurinol was 734 μg, 579 μg, and 1,140 μg respectively.

Additional experiments were conducted with colonies of Germancockroaches of the American Cyanamid (AMCY) susceptible strain, preparedessentially as described in Example 1. The diets administered were baitbase alone (BB) or bait base+1% xanthine and 1% oxypurinol. The food wasoffered for durations of either 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 days. At the end ofthe treatment time, the treated food was removed, and the insects wereoffered untreated bait base (BB) for the remainder of the test period.The controls were offered either untreated bait base (BB) continuously,or treated food continuously, until the end of the trial.

As shown in Table 3b below, treatment for 6 days or more was required toachieve irreversible decline in the test population.

                  TABLE 3b                                                        ______________________________________                                        TREATMENT   TIME                                                              DURATION              (wks)                                                                                          BBX + 1% OXY                           ______________________________________                                        3 DAYS      3          -2%     -8%                                                                                         -27%                                                                             0%                            6 DAYS                                      -10%                                                                           -53%                                                                          -2%                              9 DAYS                                       -13%                                                                          -75%                                                                         -90%                              12 DAYS                                      -25%                                                                          -89%                                                                         -96%                              15 DAYS                                      -17%                                                                          -90%                                                                         -98%                              CONTINUOUS           3                                                                                                      -2%                             TREATMENT             6                                                                                                    -100%                            ______________________________________                                         Table 3b: Percent change (Δ%) in mean population numbers over time      (weeks) in colonies of German cockroaches of the AMCY susceptible strain      fed a diet of bait base alone (BB), or bait base + 1% xanthine and 1%         oxypurinol. Duration of treatment was 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 days, after whic     untreated base bait was adiministered. * = no data recorded. (n = 3, 100%     = 42)                                                                    

Individual consumption of oxypurinol for treatment durations of 3 days,6 days, 9 days, 12 days, 15 days, and continuously, was 64 μg, 150 μg,193 μg, 265 μg, 301 μg, and 434 μg, respectively.

EXAMPLE 6 Assessment of Food Choice

Colonies were prepared essentially as described in Example 1, with threereplicates of each condition. Planchettes containing either untreatedfood (RC) or food treated with xanthine+oxypurinol (RCX+OXY %) wereoffered together in each colony. Food weights for each planchette werecalculated to determine how much of each was consumed. The treatmentsconsisted of rat chow with 1% xanthine and oxypurinol at either 0.1%,0.5% or 1.0% (w/w) concentration. The control colony was given twoplanchettes of untreated rat chow.

The results, as shown in Table 4a below, indicate that the insectsconsumed either the same quantity of treated and untreated food (at 0.5%oxypurinol), or ate more of the treated than the untreated food (at 0.1%and 2.0% oxypurinol). The range of oxypurinol ingested was calculated tobe between 29 μg and 265 μg per individual over the first three weeks,and a high level of population-growth control was achieved, especiallyat 1.0% oxypurinol concentration.

                                      TABLE 4a                                    __________________________________________________________________________             RC      RCX +    RCX +    RCX +                                      TIME     CON-    OXY%     OXY%     OXY%                                       (wks)                                                                             TEST TROL                                                                              RC  0.1  RC  0.5 RC   1.0                                        __________________________________________________________________________    3   ICmg 58.9                                                                              23.1                                                                              29.4 25.7                                                                              25.6                                                                              24.7 26.5                                           ±SEM                                                                            ±1.7                                                                           ±3.1                                                                           ±0.30                                                                           ±1.0                                                                           ±1.3                                                                           ±0.9                                                                            ±2.0                                        ICμg                                                                            0   0   29.4 0   128 0    265                                            OXY                                                                           % TOTAL                                                                             100%                                                                             43% 57%  50% 50% 48%  52%                                        7   Δ%                                                                            +422%                                                                            -64%     -72%    -83%                                            9   Δ%                                                                           +1378%                                                                            -71%     -80%    -94%                                            12  Δ%                                                                           +2007%                                                                            -76%     -71%    -96%                                            __________________________________________________________________________     Table 4a: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean       population numbers (Δ%) over time (weeks), in colonies where treate     (RCX + OXY%) and untreated (RC) food were offered together as a choice of     diet. The amount of oxypurinol ingested over the first three weeks is         shown as μg/individual (ICμg OXY), and the ratio of treated and         untreated food consumed is given as a percent of the total amount eaten (     TOTAL). (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                               

In additional experiments, replicate colonies were prepared essentiallyas described in Example 1. Planchettes containing either untreated baitbase (BB), or bait base+1% xanthine (BBX) and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol(OXY), were offered together in each colony. Results were compared withcontrol colonies offered only untreated bait base.

The results, as shown in Table 4b below, demonstrate that adding acombination of xanthine and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol to the inert baitbase caused the population to diminish to the point of extinction. Thisoccurred even though the insects had untreated food available to them aswell. There was little, or no, feeding inhibition exhibited with thesecompounds added to the food.

                  TABLE 4b                                                        ______________________________________                                                                       BBX         BBX                                TIME           BB               1%          2%                                (wks)    TEST         CONTROL                                                                              BB                                                                                    OXY                                                                               BB                                                                                    OXY                          ______________________________________                                        3     ICmg     61        14    25    21    16                                              (+ SEM)                                                                            n = 1     (± 0.3)                                                                         (+ 0.6)                                                                             (+1.4)                                                                             (±1.4)                         3          % TOTAL                                                                             100%        36%                                                                                 64%                                                                                  57%                                                                                43%                            3     Δ% -2%       -57%      -60%                                       4            Δ%                                                                             -2%           -93%                                                                                        -87%                          6            Δ%                                                                             +369%                                                                                     -98%                                                                                          -99%                          ______________________________________                                         Table 4b: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent change              (Δ%) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of        German cockroaches, where untreated bait base (BB), and bait base treated     (w/w) with 1% xanthine (BBX) and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol (OXY), were       offered as a choice of food. (n = 3, 100% = 42)                          

The range of oxypurinol ingested was calculated to be between 250 μg-320μg per individual insect over the first three weeks of treatment.

EXAMPLE 7 Life Stage Effects of Xanthine-Oxypurinol Composition

Colonies of German cockroaches were housed as previously described inExample 1, with the usually mixed stages separated into three differentcolonies. Colonies consisted of either newly-molted adults (five malesand five females, 6-7 weeks old); large nymphs (eight males and eightfemales, 5-6 weeks old); or small nymphs (eight males and eight females,3-4 weeks old). Colonies of older adults (five males and five females,7-8 weeks old) also were tested.

The diets administered were either rat chow alone (RC), or rat chow+1%xanthine (RCX) plus various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY %).Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean populationnumber (Δ%) were determined for each stage, and are shown in Tables 5athrough 5d below, for adults, large nymphs, small nymphs, and olderadults, respectively.

The data in these tables confirm that the primary impact of treatmentwith xanthine plus oxypurinol occurs as the cockroaches attempt toreproduce. The effect is probably caused by depletion of the insect'metabolic reserves, including uric acid stores which cannot be replacedbecause of irreversible enzyme inhibition. However, very small nymphswhich hatch in a dying colony also are affected in that they are usuallytoo weak to survive, and rarely reach their second instar. It isprobable that they are not invested with the metabolic reserves that arenormally passes to them prenatally. Their continued feeding on treatedfood also prevents the young nymphs from developing their own metabolicstores, especially stores of uric acid.

Adult males were observed to be the first to die. At mating, adult malesutilize a large part of their reserves to pass urates as well as maturesperm to the females. Females who have just produced an egg-case, whichnecessitates a large investment of nutritional reserves, die shortlythereafter, usually with the non-viable egg-case protruding from theovipositor.

Cochran observed that cyclic feeding occurs in adult females in relationto egg production (Cochran (1983) Entomol. Exp. App. 34: 51-57). In thisoothecal cycle, the females feed vigorously while maturing the oocytes,and sparingly while carrying an egg-case. These phenomena would accountfor the high feeding rates and early mortality of the newly-emergedadults (Table 5a), as well as the low feeding rates of the older adults(Table 5d). These latter females were likely to already have matured theeggs that would fill oothecae soon after the colony was assembled, andthus were in the low feeding-rate part of their cycle. Their firstnymphal hatch would account for the precipitous rise in populationnumbers in these colonies (Table 5d), followed by the gradual weakeningof the colonies as the adults attempted to reproduce further and thenewly-hatched nymphs died.

Nymphs followed the same pattern of mortality as the adults, and weremost affected by the treated diet after molting to the adult stage, whenthey normally feed vigorously in preparation, for maturing their firstoocytes. The delay in the rate at which the population declined in thelarge nymph colony (Table 5b), and small nymph colony (Table 5c), isfurther evidence that the major impact occurs during reproduction. Thiswould have happened between weeks 9-11 of the experiment for theseage-groups.

The effective dosage range for oxypurinol with xanthine is very wide inthese experiments, causing high mortality at 99.5 μg/individual measuredover three weeks in the newly-molted adults (Table 5a), and slowercontrol at higher individual consumption rates when the colonies werestarted as nymphs. However, it is clear that, although there is adifferent effect on the cockroaches depending on their age whentreatment is started, they are all affected as they attempt toreproduce.

                  TABLE 5a                                                        ______________________________________                                        COLONY STARTED AS ADULTS (n = 1)                                              TIME                      RCX + OXY%                                          wks   TEST       RC       0.1    1.0    2.0                                   ______________________________________                                        3     ICmg       87.0     99.5   76.8   84.8                                  3        ICμg OXY                                                                                 0        99.5                                                                                  768                                                                                 1696                            6             Δ%                                                                               +1430%                                                                                -94%                                                                                   -75%                                                                               -88%                             9              Δ%                                                                              +1310%                                                                              -100%                                                                                   -90%                                                                                -100%                            12            Δ%                                                                               +1810%                                                                              -100%                                                                                   -100%                                                                              -100%                             ______________________________________                                         Table 5a: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean       population number (Δ%) in colonies of newlymolted adult German          cockroaches fed untreated rat chow (RC) or rat chow + 1% xanthine (RCX)       and various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY%).                   

                  TABLE 5b                                                        ______________________________________                                        COLONY STARTED AS LARGE NYMPHS (n = 1)                                        TIME                   RCX + OXY%                                             wks    TEST       RC       0.1   1.0    2.0                                   ______________________________________                                        3      ICmg       82.8     76.9  65.3   79.3                                  3       ICμg OXY                                                                                 0                 653                                                                                1586                             6           Δ%                                                                                  -6%                                                                                    -50%                                                                               -31%                                                                              -6%                                 9           Δ%                                                                                +1613%                                                                                -69%                                                                                  -81%                                                                               -63%                               12      Δ%       +1800%                                                                               -88%                                                                                -100%                                                                               -100%                               ______________________________________                                         Table 5b: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean       population number (Δ%) in colonies of large German cockroach nymphs     (5-6 weeks old at the starting date) fed untreated rat chow (RC) or rat       chow + 1% xanthine (RCX) and various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol       (OXY%).                                                                  

                  TABLE 5c                                                        ______________________________________                                        COLONY STARTED AS SMALL NYMPHS (n = 1)                                        TIME                       RCX + OXY%                                         wks    TEST       RC       0.1    1.0    2.0                                  ______________________________________                                        3      ICmg       54.9     53.9    52.4 40.4                                  3              ICμg OXY                                                                              0                                                                                                   808                           6                 Δ%                                                                                            -19%                                                                                  -81%                          9                 Δ%                                                                              +719%                                                                                       -81%                                                                                  -88%                          12               Δ%                                                                               +775%                                                                                       -100%                                                                                -100%                          ______________________________________                                         Table 5c: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean       population number (Δ%) of small German cockroach nymphs (3-4 weeks      old at the starting date) fed untreated rat chow (RC) or rat chow + 1%        xanthine (RCX) and various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY%).    

                  TABLE 5d                                                        ______________________________________                                        COLONY STARTED AS OLDER ADULTS (n = 3)                                        TIME                       RCX + OXY%                                         wks    TEST       RC       0.1   1.0    2.0                                   ______________________________________                                        3      ICmg       38.7     37.2  35.0   35.2                                                                   (±1.9)                                                                           (±0.6)                                                                           (+1.8)                           3              ICμg OXY                                                                              0                                                                                                    704                          6                 Δ%                                                                             +1150%                                                                             +557%                                                                              +403%                                                                               +823%                                9                 Δ%                                                                             +1030%                                                                                              +197%                          12                Δ%                                                                             +1820%                                                                                -73%                                                                                         -30%                          ______________________________________                                         Table 5d: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change in mean       population number (Δ%) in colonies of older German cockroach adults     (8-9 weeks old at the starting date) fed untreated rat chow (RC) or rat       chow + 1% xanthine (RCX) and various concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol       (OXY%).                                                                  

EXAMPLE 8 Assessment of Compositions Containing Trimethoprim

Replicate colonies of German cockroaches were prepared essentially asdescribed in Example 1. The diets administered were either rat chowalone (RC); rat chow with various concentrations (w/w) of trimethoprim(RC+T %), or rat chow+1% xanthine (RCX) and various concentrations (w/w)of trimethoprim (T %).

As shown in Table 6a below, the addition of trimethoprim alone did notinhibit population growth, although there was some eventual weakening ofthe treated colonies. As shown in Table 6b below, however, thecombination of xanthine and trimethoprim caused rapid inhibition ofpopulation growth.

                  TABLE 6a                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                     RC + T%                                              WKS   TEST       RC      0.5     1.0   2.0                                    ______________________________________                                         3    ICmg       62      61      58    54                                                    (+SEM)                                                                              (±2.2)                                                                             (±3.5)                                                                             (±3.4)                                                                          (±1.7)                           12           Δ%                                                                              +1398%                                                                             +1246%   +1013%                                                                              +384%                                ______________________________________                                         Table 6a: Mean individual consumption (ICmg) of rat chow without (RC) or      with various concentrations (w/w) of trimethoprim (RC + T%), over time        (weeks), shown in conjunction with percent change in mean population          number (Δ%), in colonies of German cockroaches where the starting       number (42) = 100%. n = 5                                                

                  TABLE 6b                                                        ______________________________________                                                       RCX + T%                                                       TIME             RC      1.0     2.0   3.0                                    wks         TEST        n = 6                                                                               n = 3                                                                                 n = 12                                                                            n = 3                               ______________________________________                                        1     ICmg       17.3    12.0    8.8   5.8                                                   (±SEM)                                                                            (±2.4)                                                                              (±0.9)                                                                             (±0.7)                                                                           (±0.1)                                       Δ%                                                                                -1%                                                                                  -4%                                                                                 -28%                                                                              -41%                                3               ICmg                                                                                  44.7                                                                                   33.9                                                                                      13.4                                             (±SEM)                                                                           (±2.1)                                                                              (±1.1)                                                                             (±2.8)                                                                           (±1.3)                                       Δ%                                                                                     -23%                                                                                -77%                                                                                  -98%                              6                Δ%                                                                              +36%                                                                                  -44%                                                                                -67%                                                                                  -98%                           ______________________________________                                         Table 6b: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent change in mean      population number (Δ%), over time (weeks), in colonies of German        cockroaches offered food without xanthine (RC) or with 1% xanthine (RCX)      and various concentrations (w/w) of trimethoprim (T%), where the colony       starting number (42) = 100%.                                             

Whole-body uric acid concentrations were calculated from standarduricase assays, as previously described. As shown in Table 6c below,uric acid metabolism was not affected by treatment with a combination ofxanthine and trimethoprim. During the first three-weeks, there was amean Δ% of -82% of the populations in the treated colonies, with 65% ofthese still nymphs when they died. This represents 72% of the nymphsused for the experiment, and confirms that effects are most pronouncedduring nymphal molt.

                  TABLE 6C                                                        ______________________________________                                        WEEK    GROUP        RC      RCX + 2% T                                       ______________________________________                                        3-4     males        2.04    2.61                                                                  ±0.12                                                                              ±0.05                                                              n = 19  n = 9                                                    females      2.54    2.64                                                                  ±0.06                                                                              ±0.03                                                              n = 17  n = 3                                                    nymphs       2.76    2.62                                                                  n= 1    ±0.12                                                                      n = 9                                            ______________________________________                                         Table 6c: Mean wholebody uric acid concentrations (μg/mg dry tissue        weight ± SEM, in three groups of German cockroaches offered untreated      food (RC), or food treated with 1% xanthine (RCX) and 2% trimethoprim         (w/w).                                                                   

In additional experiments, replicate colonies of cockroaches wereprepared essentially as described in Example 1. The diets administeredwere untreated 50/50 rat chow+bait base (w/w) (RCBB); rat chow+baitbase+1% xanthine (RCBBX) and 2% trimethoprim (T); bait base+1% xanthine(BBX) and 2% trimethoprim (T). Mean individual consumption (ICmg) overthe first three weeks and the percent change (Δ%) in means populationnumber over time were calculated as before.

As shown in Table 6d below, consumption of the untreated food was muchhigher than consumption of the treated food, regardless of composition,indicating that the insects found compositions with trimethoprim,distasteful. However, both of the treated populations lost nymphs earlyin the trial, and the colonies declined to extinction over nine weeks oftreatment. The rate of ingestion of trimethoprim was 680 μg to 700 μgover the first three weeks.

                  TABLE 6d                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RCBB         RCBBX BBX                                       (wks)    TEST    CONTROL      2% T  2% T                                      ______________________________________                                        3        IC mg   68           34    35                                                 (±SEM)                                                                             (±1.7)    (±3.0)                                                                           (±4.6)                                 3        Δ %                                                                              -5%         -79%  -72%                                      6        Δ %                                                                             +782%        -79%  -92%                                      9        Δ %                                                                             +1130%       -81%  -99%                                      ______________________________________                                         Table 6d: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population numbers over time (weeks) in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered foods with or without 1     xanthine (X) and 2% trimethoprim (T). The foods were 50% rat chow with        bait base (RCBB), or bait base alone (BB). (n = 3, 100% = 42)            

To test the effects of a higher concentration of xanthine withtrimethoprim, colonies were prepared essentially as described inExample 1. The diets administered were either untreated rat chow (RC) orrat chow+2% xanthine (X) and 2% trimethoprim (T). Calculations were doneas previously described.

As shown in Table 6e below, the higher concentration of xanthine did notchange the feeding pattern when administered with trimethoprim, thoughthe decline of the population was faster, with extinction observed atabout six weeks. The ingestion rate of trimethoprim was about 640 μgover three weeks.

                  TABLE 6e                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                  RC                                                      (wks)    TEST         CONTROL   RCXT                                          ______________________________________                                        3        IC mg        62        32                                                     (±SEM)    n = 1     (±1.5)                                     3        Δ %      -9%     -90%                                          6        Δ %    +1262%    -98%                                          ______________________________________                                         Table 6e: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain, offered food without (RC) or       with 2% xanthine and 2% trimethoprim (T) (w/w). (n = 3; 100% = 42)       

To further determine the effects of different concentrations of xanthineand trimethoprim in compositions, especially with regard to body size,additional tests were conducted using the large cockroach Periplanetaamericana--the American cockroach. Three colonies were prepared, eachconsisting of last-instar nymphs, of which ten were females, and fivewere males. The diets administered with either untreated rat chow (RC)or rat chow treated+1% xanthine and either 2% or 5% trimethoprim.

Although considerable feeding inhibition occurred with the 5%trimethoprim composition, the population was controlled for 32 weeks, atwhich time only 15 nymphs hatched. This was in marked contrast to thecontrol colony, where an average 47.4 nymphs per female were hatched. Itappears that higher concentrations of trimethoprim, with the compoundmicroencapsulated to mask its presence, would achieve complete control.

EXAMPLE 9 Treatment of Resistant Cockroaches with Xanthine-OxypurinolCompositions

Colonies of cockroaches were prepared essentially as described inExample 1, except that the insects were taken from laboratory stocks oftwo German cockroach strains that are known to be resistant toinsecticides commonly used for cockroach control. The two strains were:(A) the Hawthorne strain, and (B) the Las Palms strain. Profiles of theresistance ratios exhibited by these two strains are shown in Table 7abelow.

                  TABLE 7a                                                        ______________________________________                                                      HAWTHORNE LAS PALMS                                             INSECTICIDE     RR                                                            ______________________________________                                        ORGANOPHOSPHATES                                                              Diazinon        2.0          >75                                              Chlorpyrifos    10.8         >50                                              Acephate        2.0         1.2                                               Malathion       5.5          >50                                              CARBAMATES                                                                    Propoxur        1.7          >60                                              Bendiocarb      2.2          >70                                              PYRETHROIDS                                                                   Pyrethrins      >140        >140                                              Allethrin       >140        >140                                              Permethrin      0.5         3.2                                               Phenothrin      0.6         >120                                              Fenvalerate     0.9          >60                                              Esfenvalerate   0.8         7.0                                               Cyfluthrin      1.8         2.5                                               Cypermethrin    1.6          >80                                              BIO-CHEMICAL                                                                  Avermectin      2.4         1.5                                               ______________________________________                                         Table 7a: Resistance ratio (RR) profiles for the Hawthorne and Las Palms      resistant strains, where, on a continuum of rising resistance, RR >2.0        indicates that resistance is developing, and RR ≧3.0 indicates tha     the gene frequency for resistance has increased. RR is calculated as (Tes     strain LT.sub.50) ÷ (Susceptible strain LT.sub.50), where LT.sub.50 i     the time it takes for the intoxicant to achieve 50% mortality in a treate     population.                                                              

Mean individual consumption (ICmg) in the first three-weeks wascalculated as previously described. As shown in Tables 7b and 7c below,ICmg for both strains was consistent across all concentrations of thefood mixtures. The Hawthorne strain exhibited a maximum decrease inconsumption of 22% for a diet containing 3% oxypurinol. This representsa dose of 1,260 μg of oxypurinol over the first three weeks.

                  TABLE 7b                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RCX + OXY %                                                  (wks) RC         0.1     1.0     2.0   3.0                                    ______________________________________                                        HAWTHORNE STRAIN                                                              3     53.6       47.1    48.0    47.1  42.0                                         (±3.5)  (±0.6)                                                                             (±1.3)                                                                             (±0.8)                                                                           (±0.4)                                    n = 4      n = 3   n = 3   n = 3 n = 4                                  LAS PALMS STRAIN                                                              3     45.2       39.5    40.0    40.0  40.3                                         (±1.3)  (±1.0)                                                                             (±0.4)                                                                             (±2.3)                                                                           (±0.5)                                    n = 4      n = 3   n = 3   n = 3 n = 4                                  ______________________________________                                         Table 7b: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), over time (wks), of rat        chow offered without (RC), or with 1% xanthine (RCX), and with various        concentrations (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY %), by German cockroaches of the      Hawthorne and Las Palms resistant strains.                               

The effect of xanthine-oxypurinol combinations on population growth wasdetermined as previously described. As shown in Tables 7c and 7d below,the combination controlled the population growth of both resistantstrains. This indicates that the mode of action of thexanthine-oxypurinol combination is not affected by the multipleresistance mechanisms present in these strains.

                  TABLE 7c                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                RCX + OXY %                                               (wks)   RC          0.1    1.0     2.0  3.0                                   ______________________________________                                        6       +438%       -32%   -22%    +12% -21%                                  9       +997%       -55%   -59%    -38% -67%                                  12      +1,601%     -77%   -78%    -76% -98%                                  ______________________________________                                         Table 7c: Percent changes (+ or -) in mean population number in colonies      of German cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistant strain, offered food         without (RC) or with 1% xanthine (RCX), and with various concentrations       (w/w) of oxypurinol (OXY %), over time (weeks). n = 3.                   

                  TABLE 7d                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                RCX + OXY %                                               wks     RC          0.1    1.0    2.0  3.0                                    ______________________________________                                        6         +146%     +50%   +68%   +31% -25%                                   9       +1,074%     -50%    -8%   -60% -70%                                   12      +1,624%     -78%   -67%   -88% -95%                                   ______________________________________                                         Table 7d: Percent changes (+ or -) in mean population number in colonies      of German cockroaches of the Las Palms resistant strain, offered food         without (RC) or with 1% xanthine (RCX), and with various concentrations       (w/w) of oxypurinol, over time (weeks). n = 3.                           

Additional experiments were conducted to assess compositions of xanthinewith higher concentrations of oxypurinol. Colonies of cockroaches wereprepared as described, using the Hawthorne and Las Palms resistantstrains. The diets administered were untreated rat chow (RC) or rat chowtreated+1% xanthine and four concentrations of oxypurinol.

As shown in Tables 7e and 7f below, there was little difference in meanindividual consumption (ICmg) over the first three weeks in eitherstrain. A gradual decline in means population over time (weeks) wasobserved, with extinction at 12 weeks for the Hawthorne strain. Aslightly slower rate of decline was observed in the Las Palms strain. At5% concentration, ingestion of oxypurinol was 2,350 μg for both strains,and population decline was equivalent. At the other concentrations, therange of oxypurinol ingested was 920 μg-1,840 μg (2%-4%) for theHawthorne strain, and 960 μg-1,960 μg (2%-4%) for the Las Palms strain.

                  TABLE 7e                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME           RC        RCX + OXY                                            (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   2%    3%    4%    5%                                 ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   49        46    45    46    47                                        (±SEM)                                                                             (±2.8) (±3.5)                                                                           (±3.2)                                                                           ±3.2)                                                                            (±3.7)                          6      Δ %                                                                              +386%    -62%  -66%  -29%  -56%                               9      Δ %                                                                             +1316%    -89%  -91%  -75%  -89%                               12     Δ %                                                                             +1642%    -100% -100% -100% -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 7e: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistant strain, offered food without (RC)      or with (w/w) 1% xanthine and various concentrations of oxypurinol (OXY).     (n = 3; 100% = 42)                                                       

                  TABLE 7f                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME           RC        RCX + OXY                                            (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   2%    3%    4%    5%                                 ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   48        48    49    49    47                                        (±SEM)                                                                             (±1.5) (±2.3)                                                                           (±2.6)                                                                           (±1.9)                                                                           (±2.0)                          6      Δ %                                                                              +271%    -13%  -40%  -48%  -48%                               9      Δ %                                                                             +1132%    -68%  -84%  -89%  -85%                               12     Δ %                                                                             +1567%    -87%  -98%  -98%  -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 7f: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the Las Palms resistant strain, offered food without (RC)      or with (w/w) 1% xanthine and various concentrations of oxypurinol (OXY).     The ratio of treated and untreated food consumed is given as a percent of     the total amount eaten. (% TOTAL). (n = 3; 100% = 42)                    

Additional experiments were conducted to assess food choice. The dietsoffered were untreated rat chow alone (RC) for the control and a choiceof untreated rat chow (RC) and rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthineand various concentrations of oxypurinol.

The results, in Tables 7g and 7h, below, show a similar level of controlof these populations compared to that exhibited in populations where nochoice of diet was available (see Tables 7e and 7f). Mean individualconsumption (ICmg) over the first three weeks showed little differencebetween the percentage of untreated and treated food consumed.

The amount of oxypurinol ingested in the choice tests was the least (450μg) at the highest concentration (5%) for the Hawthorne strain, with 600μg ingested at the 2% concentration, and 840 μg ingested at the 4%level. The amount ingested by the Las Palms strain was 660 μg at the 3%level and 900 μg at the 4% level. Population decline, however, wasslower in the Las Palms colonies than in the Hawthorne colonies.

                  TABLE 7g                                                        ______________________________________                                                      CON-          RCX       RCX       RCX                           TIME          TROL          2%        4%        5%                            (wks) TEST    RC       RC   OXY  RC   OXY  RC   OXY                           ______________________________________                                        3     IC mg   64       30   30   31   28   33   29                                  ±SEM ±1.4  ±3.0                                                                            ±5.0                                                                            ±6.5                                                                            ±4.2                                                                            ±2.7                                                                            ±5.6                       3     %        100%    51%  49%  52%  48%  54%  46%                                 TOTAL                                                                   6     Δ %                                                                              +871%   -50%    -75%    -77%                                   9     Δ %                                                                             +1486%   -94%    -96%    -97%                                   ______________________________________                                         Table 7g: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistant strain offered untreated rat chow      alone (RC), or untreated rat chow offered together as a choice of diet        with rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), and various                 concentrations of oxypurinol (OXY). The ratio of treated and untreated        food consumed is given as a percent of the total amount eaten (% TOTAL).      #(n = 3; 100% = 42)                                                      

                  TABLE 7h                                                        ______________________________________                                                                       RCX         RCX                                TIME           CONTROL         3%          4%                                 (wks) TEST     RC        RC    OXY   RC    OXY                                ______________________________________                                        3     IC mg    60        25    22    29    23                                       (±SEM)                                                                              (±3.4) (±3.7)                                                                           (±2.3)                                                                           (±2.1)                                                                           (±3.7)                          3     % TOTAL   100%     53%   47%   56%   44%                                6     Δ %                                                                              +490%     -52%      -43%                                       9     Δ %                                                                              +1741%    -87%      -83%                                       12    Δ %                                                                              +1819%    -95%      -97%                                       ______________________________________                                         Table 7h: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the Las Palms resistant strain offered untreated rat chow      alone (RC), or untreated rat chow offered together as a choice of diet        with rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), and various                 concentrations of oxypurinol (OXY). The ratio of treated and untreated        food consumed is given as a percent of the total amount eaten (% TOTAL).      #(n = 3; 100% = 42)                                                      

Additional experiments were conducted to assess the effects of differentxanthine-oxypurinol compositions. Colonies of Hawthorne and Las Palmsstrains were prepared as described. The diets administered consisted ofrat chow (RC) or rat chow+bait base (50/50) (RCBB), or bait base alone(BB); each of which had been treated with 1% xanthine and either 1% or2% oxypurinol. A control diet, consisting of untreated rat chow, alsowas administered.

Results are given in Tables 7i and 7 j below, and show a faster rate ofdecline to extinction at seven or eight weeks in both strains, atconcentrations of oxypurinol that compare with those used to controlpopulations of the susceptible VPI strain.

                  TABLE 7i                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME           CONTROL   1% OXY    2% OXY                                     (WKS)  TEST    RC        RCBBX BBX   RCBBX BBX                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   60        57    47    55    43                                        (±SEM)                                                                             (±1.1) (±2.2)                                                                           (±1.4)                                                                           (±1.3)                                                                           (±0.6)                          3      Δ %                                                                              -2%      -17%   -58% -10%  -48%                               6      Δ %                                                                             +684%     -94%  -100% -87%  -99%                               8      Δ %                                                                             >+684%    --    --    -97%  -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 7i: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistant strain offered untreated rat chow      (RC) or food treated with 1% xanthine and various concentrations of           oxypurinol (OXY). The food was either rat chow mixed 50% (w/w) with bait      base (RCBB) or bait base alone (BB). (n = 3; 100% = 42)                  

                  TABLE 7j                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME           RC        1% OXY    2% OXY                                     (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   RCBBX BBX   RCBBX BBX                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   50        42    36    41    35                                        (±SEM)                                                                             (±1.1) (±1.7)                                                                           (±0.9)                                                                           (±1.2)                                                                           (±2.3)                          3      Δ %                                                                              -4%      -16%  -39%   -7%  -37%                               6      Δ %                                                                             +491%     -56%  -97%  -47%  -82%                               7      Δ %                                                                             >491%     -97%  -100% -96%  -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 7j: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the Las Palms resistant strain offered untreated rat chow      (RC) or food treated with 1% xanthine and various concentrations of           oxypurinol (OXY). The food was either rat chow mixed 50% (w/w) with bait      base (RCCB) or bait base alone (BB). (n = 3; 100% = 42)                  

Assessment of food choice was conducted as previously described. Choiceswere untreated bait base (BB), and bait base treated (w/w) with 1%xanthine and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol. Calculations were made aspreviously described, and the results are shown in Tables 7k and 7l.

There was little distinction made between untreated and treated food inboth strains, with population growth being controlled to near extinctionat six weeks, regardless of the slight reduction in consumption of foodcontaining the higher oxypurinol concentration. The range of oxypurinolingested over the first three weeks was 210-230 μg in the Hawthornestrain, and 150-180 μg for the Las Palms strain. The rate of populationdecline was comparable to that achieved when no choice of diet wasoffered. (See Tables 7i and 7j).

                  TABLE 7k                                                        ______________________________________                                                                       BBX         BBX                                TIME           BB              1%          2%                                 (wks)  TEST    CONTROL   BB    OXY   BB    OXY                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   60        22    23    19    21                                        (SEM)   n = 1     (±0.9)                                                                           (±1.3)                                                                           (±0.3)                                                                           (±1.5)                          3      %       100%      49%   51%   48%   52%                                       TOTAL                                                                  3      Δ %                                                                               0%      -62%      -52%                                       4      Δ %                                                                              -2%      -94%      -92%                                       6      Δ %                                                                             +328%     -98%      -99%                                       ______________________________________                                         Table 7k: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), consumption ratio (%           TOTAL), and percent change (Δ %) in mean population numbers over        time (weeks), in colonies of German cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistan     strain, where untreated bait base (BB), and bait base treated (w/w) with      1% xanthine (X), and either 1% or 2% (w/w) oxypurinol (OXY), were offered     as a choice of food. (n = 3; 100% = 42)                                  

                  TABLE 7l                                                        ______________________________________                                                                       BBX         BBX                                TIME           BB              1%          2%                                 (wks)  TEST    CONTROL   BB    OXY   BB    OXY                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   47        17    18    16    15                                        (SEM)   n = 1     (±0.6)                                                                           (±0.6)                                                                           (±0.9)                                                                           (±0.3)                          3      %       100%      49%   51%   51%   49%                                       TOTAL                                                                  3      Δ %                                                                               0%      -48%      -43%                                       4      Δ %                                                                               0%      -84%      -86%                                       6      Δ %                                                                             +424%     -98%      -99%                                       ______________________________________                                         Table 7l: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), consumption ratio (%           TOTAL), and percent change (Δ %) in mean population numbers over        time (weeks), in colonies of German cockroaches of the Las Palms resistan     strain, where untreated bait base (BB), and bait base treated (w/w) with      1% xanthine (X), and either 1% or 2% (w/w) oxypurinol (OXY), were offered     as a choice of food. (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                  

EXAMPLE 10 Treatment of Resistant Cockroaches with Xanthine-TrimethoprimCompositions

Colonies of cockroaches were prepared as described, using the Hawthorneand Las Palms resistant strains.

As shown in Table 8a below, for the Hawthorne strain, feeding wasinhibited in relation to the control, in direct ratio to theconcentration of trimethoprim in the diet. The maximum decrease of 62%occurred at a concentration of 4% trimethoprim, which represents a doseof 639 μg per individual over the first three weeks. Population growthof the Hawthorne strain was controlled at the higher concentrations.

                                      TABLE 8a                                    __________________________________________________________________________    TIME           RCX + T %                                                      (wks)                                                                              TEST RC   0.5 1.0  2.0  3.0  4.0                                         __________________________________________________________________________    3    IC mg                                                                              42.5 37.6                                                                              37.1 30.4 17.2 15.9                                             (±SEM)                                                                          (±0.7)                                                                          (±2.1)                                                                         (±1.7)                                                                          (±2.0)                                                                          (±1.2)                                                                          (±1.4)                                             n = 7                                                                              n = 3                                                                             n = 3                                                                              n = 6                                                                              n = 6                                                                              n = 3                                       3    Δ %                                                                           -7%  -2%                                                                               -6% -27% -75% -79%                                                  n = 7                                                                              n = 3                                                                             n = 3                                                                              n = 6                                                                              n = 4                                                                              n = 3                                       6    Δ %                                                                          +368%         -70% -79% -89%                                                  n = 4         n = 3                                                                              n = 4                                                                              n = 3                                       9    Δ %                                                                          +606%                                                                              +369%                                                                             +298%                                                                              -17% -95% -94%                                                  n = 7                                                                              n = 3                                                                             n = 3                                                                              n = 6                                                                              n = 4                                                                              n = 3                                       12   Δ %                                                                          +913%         -51% -93% -97%                                                  n = 3         n = 3                                                                              n = 3                                                                              n = 3                                       __________________________________________________________________________     Table 8a: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), and percent change (.DELTA     %) in mean population numbers, in colonies of German cockroaches of the       Hawthorne resistant strain offered food without (RC), or with 1% xanthine     (RCX), and various concentrations (w/w) of trimethoprim (% T) over time       (weeks).                                                                 

For the Las Palms strain, as shown in Table 8b below, an even decline inICmg of treated food occurred in direct relation to the increase in theconcentration of trimethoprim. The maximum inhibition, compared with thecontrol, was 38% at a concentration of 6% trimethoprim, whichconstitutes an ingested dose of 1,758 μg per individual over threeweeks. Population numbers were reduced by two-thirds at six weeks oftreatment.

                  TABLE 8b                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME               RCX + T %                                                  (wks) TEST     RC      3.0    4.0   5.0    6.0                                ______________________________________                                        3     IC mg    45.0    43.0   41.3  37.0   29.3                                     (±SEM)                                                                              (±3.8)                                                                             (±3.5)                                                                            (±2.2)                                                                           (±2.3)                                                                            (±1.8)                          3     Δ %                                                                               -12%    -24%  -26%  -43%   -57%                               6     Δ %                                                                              +336%   +100%  -37%  -37%   -67%                               ______________________________________                                         Table 8b: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number, in colonies of German cockroaches of the La     Palms resistant strain offered food without (RC), or without 1% xanthine      (RCX), and with various concentrations (w/w) of trimethoprim (T %) over       time (weeks). n = 3                                                      

EXAMPLE 11 Treatment of Cockroaches withXanthine-Oxypurinol-Trimethoprim Compositions

Colonies of German cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain andcolonies of the Hawthorne resistant strain were offered either untreatedrat chow (RC), or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (RCX),combined with 2% oxypurinol (OXY) and either 2% or 4% trimethoprim (T).Results are shown in Tables 9a (VPI strain) and 9b (Hawthorne strain).In both, colonies were virtually extinct by six weeks of treatment, inspite of declines in mean individual consumption (ICmg) of greater than50%.

                  TABLE 9a                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                                                                          (wks)   TEST       RC      RCX + 2% OXY + 2% T                                ______________________________________                                        3       IC mg      71.3    34.9                                                       (±SEM)  n = 1   (±1.6)                                          3       Δ %   -5%    -68%                                               6       Δ %  +955%   -99%                                               ______________________________________                                         Table 9a: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered food without (RC), or       with (w/w) 1% xanthine (RCX) and 2% oxypurinol (OXY) and 2% trimethoprim      (T). (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                                  

                  TABLE 9b                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME                                                                          (wks)   TEST       RC       RCX+ 2% OXY + 4% T                                ______________________________________                                        3       IC mg      72       34.1                                                      (±SEM)  n = 1    (±0.6)                                         3       Δ %    -2.4%  -76%                                              6       Δ %  +1416%   -98%                                              ______________________________________                                         Table 9b: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), and percent change (.DELTA     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the Hawthorne resistant strain offered food without (RC),      or with (w/w) 1% xanthine (RCX), 2% oxypurinol (OXY), and 4% trimethoprim     (T). (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                                  

In additional experiments, colonies of VPI susceptible strain andcolonies of the Las Palms resistant strain were prepared as alreadydescribed. The VPI strain was offered food composed of rat chow alone(RC) or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), 2% oxypurinol(OXY), and 1% trimethoprim (T). The Las Palms strain was offered eitherrat chow alone (RC), or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), 3%oxypurinol (OXY), and 4% trimethoprim (T).

Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent change (Δ%) in meanpopulation number were calculated as described previously.

The results are given in Table 9C, below, and show that, while there wasa reduction in the rate of feeding, there was a considerable decline inthe treated populations, leading to extinction by the sixth week. Thedisparate concentrations in the compositions resulted in the same rateof decline in the susceptible and resistant insects, indicating thatmanipulation of the components can result in parity of populationcontrol, even where there are major differences in the insect strains.

                  TABLE 9c                                                        ______________________________________                                                VPI           LAS PALMS                                                                       RCX            RCX                                    TIME                    2% OXY +       3% OXY +                               (wks) TEST    RC        1% T    RC     4% T                                   ______________________________________                                        3     IC mg   76        50      60     35                                           (±SEM)                                                                             n = 1     (±2.0)                                                                             n = 1  (±1.5)                              3     Δ %                                                                               -2%     -48%     -10%  -34%                                   6     Δ %                                                                             +1562%    -77%    +679%  -79%                                   9-10  Δ %                                                                             >+1562%   -98%    +1819% -99%                                   ______________________________________                                         Table 9c: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain and the Las Palms resistant         strain, each offered untreated food (RC), or food treated (w/w) with 1%       xanthine and various concentrations of oxypurinol and trimethoprim. (n =      3, 100% = 42)                                                            

The ratios used in the trials summarized in Table 9c were X:OCY:T of1:2:1 and 1:3:4. Additional concentration ratios were assessed, assummarized in Tables 9d and 9e, below, by administering the followingdiets to colonies of the susceptible VPI strain: rat chow+bait base;bait base; rat chow+bait base treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine and 1%oxypurinol (OXY), plus either 0.1% or 0.5% trimethoprim (T).

Little difference in mean individual consumption was observed in insectsfed the control diets and those fed compositions containingtrimethoprim. However, although the inclusion of trimethoprim causedsome feeding inhibition, the decline in populations was slightly fasterwith the higher trimethoprim concentration (0.5%) than with the lowerconcentration (0.1%).

The amount of trimethoprim ingested at these concentrations was 41 μgand 190 μg respectively in the first trial, while that of oxypurinol was510 μg, 410 μg, and 380 μg (Table 9d). In the second trial, the rate fortrimethoprim was 30 μg and 165 μg, while for oxypurinol it was 400 μg,300 μg, and 330 μg, respectively.

                  TABLE 9d                                                        ______________________________________                                                       RCBBX                                                          TIME           RCBB             1.0% OXY                                      (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   1% OXY 0.1% T  0.5% T                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   63        51     41      38                                           (±SEM)                                                                             (±2.7) (±2.0)                                                                            (±1.2)                                                                             (±1.7)                             3      Δ %                                                                              -6%      -35%   -45%     -56%                                 6      Δ %                                                                             +462%     -92%   -92%    -100%                                 ______________________________________                                         Table 9d: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered rat chow mixed 50% (w/w     with bait base either untreated (RCBB), or treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine     (X), 1% oxypurinol (OXY), and either 0.1% or 0.5% trimethoprim (T). (n =      3; 100% = 42)                                                            

                  TABLE 9e                                                        ______________________________________                                                       BBX                                                            TIME           BB               1.0% OXY                                                                              1% OXY                                (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   1% OXY 0.1% T  0.5% T                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   67        40     30      33                                           (±SEM)                                                                             (±2.6) (±1.8)                                                                            (±1.0)                                                                             (±2.0)                             3      Δ %                                                                              -6%      -59%   -55%     -79%                                 6      Δ %                                                                             +738%     -97%   -99%    -100%                                 ______________________________________                                         Table 9e: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered bait base either            untreated (BB), or treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), 1% oxypurinol          (OXY), and either 0.1% or 0.5% trimethoprim (T). (n = 3; 100% = 42)      

EXAMPLE 12 Assessment of Purines with Oxypurinol or Trimethoprim

Colonies of cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain were preparedessentially as described in Example 1. The diets administered were ratchow alone (RC), or rat chow (w/w) with 3% trimethoprim and either 1%xanthine (X), 1% hypoxanthine (H), or 1% guanine (G). Mean individualconsumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%) in mean population numberwere calculated as before, with the results shown in Table 10 below.

The results, with hypoxanthine and guanine replacing the xanthinecomponent of the diet mixtures, compared closely with those obtainedwith xanthine. Population growth was controlled to extinction of thecolonies, although some feeding inhibition occurred with all of thetrimethoprim compositions.

                  TABLE 10                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME            RC        RC + 3% T                                           (wks)  TEST     CONTROL   1% X   1% H   1% G                                  ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg    54        26     25     29                                           (±SEM)                                                                              (±0)   (±8.0)                                                                            (±7.0)                                                                            (±8.0)                             3      Δ %                                                                              -5.5%     -68    -74    -71                                   6      Δ %                                                                               +152     -99    -91    -83                                   9      Δ %                                                                              +1426     -100   -100   -100                                  ______________________________________                                         Table 10: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), and percent change (.DELTA     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered rat chow untreated (RC)     or treated (w/w) with 3% trimethoprim (T), and 1% of a purine. Purines        were xanthine (X), hypoxanthine (H), or guanine (G). (n = 2, 100% = 42)  

Additional experiments were conducted to assess the effects of the samepurines in combination with oxypurinol. Colonies of German cockroachesof the VPI susceptible strain were prepared as described. The dietsadministered were either rat chow alone (RC), rat chow treated (w/w)with 1% guanine (G), and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol (OXY), or rat chowtreated with 2% guanine and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol. Calculationswere made as before. As shown in Table 11 below, the results obtainedwith guanine were much the same as those obtained with xanthine.

                  TABLE 11                                                        ______________________________________                                                      RC + 1% G  RC + 2% G                                            TIME          RC        1%     2%    1%    2%                                 (WKS) TEST    CONTROL   OXY    OXY   OXY   OXY                                ______________________________________                                        3     IC mg   66.5      64     64    64    64.0                                     (±SEM)                                                                             (±0.5) (±1.5)                                                                            (±2.4)                                                                           (±1.0)                                                                           (±2.0)                          3     Δ %                                                                               -7%     -12%   -15%   -5%  -11%                               6     Δ %                                                                             +1262%    -83%   -71%  -83%  -74%                               9     Δ %                                                                             +1257%    -99.5% -100% -98%  -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 11: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population numbers over time (weeks) in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered food without (RC), or       with (w/w) 1% or 2% guanine (G), and 1% or 2% oxypurinol (OXY). (n = 2;       100% = 42)                                                               

In Table 12, results are shown for a similar trial utilizinghypoxanthine (HX) and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol. Little difference inICmg was observed across these two trials, and the activity of theoxypurinol was enhanced in the same manner as when it was administeredwith xanthine.

                  TABLE 12                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RC          RC + 1% H                                        (wks)    TEST    CONTROL     1% OXY 2% OXY                                    ______________________________________                                        3        IC mg   63          42     62                                                 (±SEM)                                                                             (±4.8)   (n = 1)                                                                              (±1.2)                                 3        Δ %                                                                              -5%        -17%   -24%                                      6        Δ %                                                                             +762%       -83%   -30%                                      9        Δ %                                                                             +1452%      -100%  -95%                                      ______________________________________                                         Table 12: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks) in colonies of German          cockroaches fed a diet of untreated rat chow (RC), or rat chow treated        (w/w) with 1% hypoxanthine (HX), and either 1% or 2% oxypurinol (OXY). (n     = 3; 100% = 42)                                                          

Additional studies were conducted to assess compositions containing 1%purine, which, in these trials, was either guanine (G), or hypoxanthine(H), with 2% oxypurinol and either 1% or 2% trimethoprim (T).Calculations were made as before, and the results shown in Table 13,below.

Both of the purines in this trial acted in the same manner as xanthinein boosting the activity of the other components in each composition,leading to extinction of the treated colonies by the sixth week. Declinewas rapid in all cases, despite some feeding inhibition at the higherconcentrations of trimethoprim.

                  TABLE 13                                                        ______________________________________                                                       RC + 2% OXY                                                    TIME           RC        1% G      1% H                                       (WKS)  TEST    CONTROL   1% T  2% T  1% T  2% T                               ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   68        46    26    41    34                                        (±SEM)                                                                             (±4.0) (±1.5)                                                                           (±3.7)                                                                           (±2.2)                                                                           (±2.7)                          3      Δ %                                                                               -1%      -59% 1 -78%                                                                               -58%  -76%                              6      Δ %                                                                             +1423%    -100% -98%  -100% -100%                              ______________________________________                                         Table 13: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German              cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered rat chow without (RC),      or treated with 2% oxypurinol (OXY), 1% of either guanine (G) or              hypoxanthine (HX), and 1% or 2% trimethoprim (T). (n = 3, 100% = 42)     

To further determine the effects of compositions using other purines inplace of the xanthine component, uric acid (UA), the "terminal" productof the purine metabolic pathway (see FIG. 1), was combined withallopurinol (ALL), a member of the class of metabolic-enzyme inhibitorswhich includes oxypurinol. Colonies of cockroaches were preparedessentially as described in Example 1. The diets administered wereeither rat chow alone (RC), or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% UA, and 1%or 2% ALL.

Mean individual consumption (ICmg) and percent change (Δ%) in meanpopulation number were calculated as before, and the results shown inTable 14, below. Steady declines of the treated populations wereobserved, despite some feeding inhibition compared with untreatedcontrols. One can predict from these results that combining oxypurinolwith uric acid would enhance these effects.

                  TABLE 14                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RC          1% UA                                            (wks)    TEST    CONTROL     1% ALL 2% ALL                                    ______________________________________                                        3        IC mg   58          49     46                                                 (±SEM)                                                                             n = 1       (±1.2)                                                                            (±4.5)                                 3        Δ %                                                                              -7%         -7%    -9%                                      6        Δ %                                                                             +379%       -33%   -27%                                      9        Δ %                                                                             +1098%      -57%   -54%                                      ______________________________________                                         Table 14: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered untreated rat chow (RC)     or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% uric acid (UA), and either 1% or 2%         allopurinol (ALL). (n = 3, 100% = 42)                                    

EXAMPLE 13 Comparison of Trimethoprim Activity With Other DihydrofolateReductase Inhibitors

Additional experiments were conducted to compare the activity ofcompositions with xanthine and either trimethoprim (T), or methotrexate(M), which is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor with activity similarto trimethoprim. Colonies of German cockroaches of the VPI susceptiblestrain were prepared essentially as described in Example 1. The dietsadministered were either untreated rat chow (RC), or rat chow treated(w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), and either 2% trimethoprim (T), or 2%methotrexate (M). Results were calculated as previously described, andare shown in Table 15, below.

The experiments were terminated after three weeks of treatment, but theresults show that, although there was some feeding inhibition in thetreated colonies, the populations were declining steadily. The effectswith methotrexate were slower than with trimethoprim, but showed thesame patterns of mortality among the age groups as described fortrimethoprim, with the nymphs dying early.

                  TABLE 15                                                        ______________________________________                                        TIME             RC           RC + 1% X                                       (wks)    TEST    CONTROL      2% T  2% M                                      ______________________________________                                        3        IC mg   67           33    41                                                 (±SEM)                                                                             (±4.8)    (±0.5)                                                                           (±2.0)                                 3        Δ %                                                                             -3%          -89%  -45%                                      ______________________________________                                         Table 15: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German              cockroaches of the VPI susceptible stain offered untreated rat chow (RC),     or rat chow treated with 1% xanthine (X) and either 2% trimethoprim (T),      or 2% methotrexate (M). (n = 3, 100% = 42)                               

EXAMPLE 14 Comparison of Activity Levels of Oxypurinol with other PurineMetabolic Enzyme Inhibitors

Additional experiments were conducted to assess the effects ofcompositions consisting of xanthine and purine metabolic-enzymeinhibitors included, with oxypurinol, in the group ofpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine compounds described previously.

In the first of these comparisons, replicate colonies of Germancockroaches were prepared essentially as described in Example 1. Thediets administered were either untreated rat chow (RC), or rat chowtreated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), and 1% or 2% of either oxypurinol(OXY), or allopurinol (ALL). Results were calculated as previouslydescribed, and are shown in Table 16, below.

                  TABLE 16                                                        ______________________________________                                                       RC + 1% X RC + 1% X                                                           RC        1%    2%    1%    2%                                 TIME   TEST    CONTROL   OXY   OXY   ALL   ALL                                ______________________________________                                        3      IC mg   63        68    68    66    63.3                                      (±SEM)                                                                             (±1.5) (±1.8)                                                                           (±2.1)                                                                           (±2.1)                                                                           (±2.7)                          3      Δ %                                                                               -4%     -10%  -14%   -9%  -16%                               6      Δ %                                                                             +1390%    -60%  -56%  -39%  -51%                               9      Δ %                                                                             +1464%    -99%  -98%  -71%  -73%                               12     Δ %                                                                             +1859%    -100% -100% -92%  -94%                               ______________________________________                                         Table 16: Mean individual consumption (IC mg) and percent change (Δ     %) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German         cockroaches of the VPI susceptible strain offered untreated rat chow (RC)     or rat chow treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), and either 1% or 2%           oxypurinol (OXY), or 1% or 2% allopurinol (ALL). (n = 3; 100% = 42)      

Not much difference in means individual consumption of food was observedamong the groups, with the biggest difference noted with colonies fedcompositions containing 2% allopurinol. However, the rate of decline inpopulation was much faster with oxypurinol, which showed marked effectsthree weeks in advance of the compositions with allopurinol.

In the second comparison, replicate colonies of cockroaches of theAmerican Cyanamid (AMCY) susceptible strain were prepared essentially asdescribed in previous examples. The diets administered were untreatedbait base (BB), or bait base treated (w/w) with 1% xanthine (X), andwith either 1% oxypurinol (OXY), or 0.5% mercapto-allopurinol (MAL)(Synthons, Inc., Blacksburg, Va.). Mean individual consumption (ICmg)and percent change (Δ%) in means population numbers were calculated asbefore, with the results shown in Table 17a, below.

                  TABLE 17a                                                       ______________________________________                                        TIME            BB          B + 1% X                                          (wks)   TEST    CONTROL     1% OXY 0.5% MAL                                   ______________________________________                                        2       IC mg   37          37     18                                                 (±SEM)                                                                             (±2.5)   (±0.6)                                                                            (±1.0)                                  1       Δ %                                                                             -0%          -4%   -15%                                       2       Δ %                                                                             -2%         -44%   -70%                                       3       Δ %                                                                             -2%         -79%   -93%                                       ______________________________________                                         Table 17a: Mean individual consumption (IC mg), and percent change            (Δ %) in mean population numbers over time (weeks), in colonies of      German cockroaches of the AMCY susceptible strain offered untreated bait      base (BB), or bait base treated with 1% xanthine, and either 1% oxypurino     (OXY), or 0.5% mercaptoallopurinol (MAL). (n = 3; 100% = 42)             

Over the first two weeks, the amount of mercapto-allopurinol ingestedwas 90 μg per insect, but even with this comparatively low consumptionrate, the populations declined rapidly. For oxypurinol, the amountingested was 370 μg per insect over the first two weeks, with theactivity of the oxypurinol composition lagging behind that ofmercapto-allopurinol.

Additional experiments were conducted to assess the effects ofcompositions consisting of a range of concentrations ofmercapto-allopurinol and xanthine in various foods, and at differentratios.

In the first of these experiments, replicate colonies of Germancockroaches of the AMCY susceptible strain were prepared essentially asdescribed in previous examples. The diets administered were eitheruntreated bait base (BB), or bait base treated (w/w) with a series ofconcentrations of xanthine (X) and mercapto-allopurinol (M). Resultswere calculated as previously described, and are shown in Table 17b,together with the concentrations applied.

                                      TABLE 17b                                   __________________________________________________________________________                   BB                                                             TIME     BB    0.05%X                                                                             0.5%X                                                                              0.25%X                                                                             0.5%X                                                                              0.75%X                                                                             1.0%X                                 (wks)                                                                             TEST CONTROL                                                                             0.05%M                                                                             0.1%M                                                                              0.25%M                                                                             0.5%M                                                                              0.75%M                                                                             1.0%M                                 __________________________________________________________________________    3   ICmg 47    37   30   29   23   28   27                                        (±SEM)                                                                          (+3.5)                                                                              (±1.3)                                                                          (±0.9)                                                                          (±1.5)                                                                          (11.0)                                                                             (±0.6)                                                                          (±0.9)                             3   ICμg M                                                                          0     18.5 30   72.5 115  195  270                                   1   Δ%                                                                           0     -2%  0    -1%  0    6%   0                                     2        -5%   -4%  -29% -13% -29% -24% -12                                   3        -5%   -4%  61%  -40% -90% -82% 86%                                   4        7%    -10% -71% 83%  -99% -95% -95%                                  5        >100% -16% -84% -96% -99% -98% -98                                   6              -21% -91% -98%                                                 7              -27% -94%                                                      8              -32% -95%                                                      9              -40%                                                           __________________________________________________________________________     Table 17b: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), mean individual consumptio     of mercaptoallopurinol (ICμg M), and percent change (Δ%) in mean     population number over time (weeks), in colonies of German cockroaches of     the AMCY susceptible strain offered untreated bait base (BB), or bait         based treated (w/w) with a series of concentration xanthine (X) an            mercaptoallopurinol (M). (n = 3 100% = 42)                               

Effects, seen as a rapid decline in population number, correlated withincreasing concentrations of xanthine and mercapto-allopurinol, wherethe compositions consisted of concentrations of 0.5% X+0.5% M or higher.At the concentration, the amount of mercapto-allopurinol ingested with115 μg per insect over the first three weeks. At concentrations higherthan this, the results were similar, with little difference in effects.

In the second of these experiments, colonies of German cockroaches ofthe AMCY strain were prepared according to the methodology describedabove. The diets administered were untreated rat chow (RC), or bait base(BB) treated with 0.5% mercapto-allopurinol (M) and differentconcentrations of xanthine (X) to form ratios of xanthine tomercapto-allopurinol of 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 respectively. Resultswere calculated as described previously, and are shown in Table 17c,below.

                  TABLE 17c                                                       ______________________________________                                                       BB ± 0.5% M                                                                          0.25%                                                TIME  TEST     RC         X    0.5% X                                                                              1.0% X                                                                               1.5% X                            (wks)    RATIO    CONTROL                                                                                  1:2                                                                                       2:1                                                                                 3:1                            ______________________________________                                        3     ICmg     40        22    23    26    28                                               (±SEM)                                                                      (±2.8) (±0.7)                                                                            (±2.3)                                                                          (±2.9)                                                                           (±1.5)                          1            Δ%                                                                            0               -2%                                                                              -19%  -10%                              2                      0             -33%                                                                               -59%                                                                                -61%                          3                      0             -92%                                                                               -88%                                                                                -90%                          4                     >100%                                                                              -99%                                                                                    -98%                                                                               -99%                                                                                -94%                          5                                   -100%                                                                              -100%                                                                               -97%                           ______________________________________                                         Table 17c: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent change             (Δ%) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of        German cockroaches of the AMCY susceptible strain offered untreated rat       chow (RC), or 0.5% mercaptoallopurinol (M) and various concentration          ratios (w/w) of xanthine (X) in bait base (BB). (n = 3; 100% = 42)       

At these concentrations, the populations declined rapidly to extinctionby five weeks, with high mortality by two weeks of treatment in thosereplicates having higher ratios of X to M. Amounts ofmercapto-allopurinol ingested over the first three weeks were 100 μg,115 μg, 130 μg, and 140 μg respectively.

In the third of these experiments, colonies of German cockroaches of theAMCY susceptible strain were prepared as described above. The insectswere offered either untreated bait base (BB) alone, or untreated baitbase offered as a choice of diet with bait base treated (w/w) with 1%xanthine (X) and either 0.5% or 1.0% mercapto-allopurinol (M). Resultswere calculated as described previously, and are shown in Table 17d.

                  TABLE 17d                                                       ______________________________________                                                                       BB          BB                                 TIME                     BB                                                                                              X                                                                                     1.0% X                     (wks)      TEST                                                                                    CONTROL                                                                                 BB                                                                                 0.5% M                                                                              BB                                                                                   1.0% M                       ______________________________________                                        3     ICmg     46        12    18    16    14                                                 n = 1SEM)                                                                                 (±1.4)                                                                        (±0.9)                                                                           (±1.2)                                                                           (±0.6)                          3              % TOTAL                                                                          100%               60%                                                                                       47%                          1               0        0          -2%                                       2                        -2%                                                                                    33%                                                                                               -24%                    3                       -10%                                                                                 -81%                                                                                             -81%                        4                       -14%                                                                                 -93%                                                                                             -93%                        5                       -14%                                                                                 -98%                                                                                             -95%                        6                       >100%                                                                               -99%                -99%                        ______________________________________                                         Table 17d: Mean individual consumption (ICmg), and percent change             (Δ%) in mean population number over time (weeks), in colonies of        German cockroaches of the AMCY susceptible strain offered untreated bait      base (BB), or a choice of untreated BB or BB treated (w/w) with 1%            xanthine and either 0.5% or 1.0% mercaptoallopurinol (M). The ratio of        treated or untreated food consumed is given as a percentage of the total      amount eaten (% TOTAL). (n = 3; 100% = 42)                               

There was little difference in feeding where the choice of food waseither treated or untreated. The populations declined to extinction atabout the same rate at both concentrations, even with an alternateuntreated food source available to the insects. The amount ofmercapto-allopurinol ingested by each insect over the first three weekswas 90 μg and 140 μg respectively.

In examining their in vitro properties in light of the results obtainedhere, it has become evident that the half-reaction times of thepyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines can be used to roughly predict their activityin vivo when combined with xanthine, or perhaps with other of thepurines. For example, of the three examined here, mercapto-allopurinolhas an in vitro half-reaction time that is about four times longer thanthat of oxypurinol. As can be seen in Tables 17a and 17b, that fact isreflected in the accelerated mortality rate this compound achieved whencombined with xanthine.

These results suggest that others in this group of related compoundscould be used in compositions with xanthine, or with other of thepurines described, to effect population control in cockroaches and otherinsects.

In addition, it is expected that compositions with the same componentratios described in the Examples, albeit with the concentrations of theindividual components in proportion to body size, could be used toeffect population control in insects of varying sizes.

All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in allentireties.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composition for controlling an insect pestwhich salvages, stores, or excretes its nitrogenous wastes via thepurine metabolic pathway, comprising xanthine, in an amount from about0.05% to about 1.5%, by weight, and mercapto-allopurinol, in an amountfrom about 0.05% to about 1.0%, by weight.
 2. A composition according toclaim 1, wherein the amount of xanthine is about 0.05%, by weight, andthe amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about 0.05%, by weight.
 3. Acomposition according to claim 1, wherein the amount of xanthine isabout 0.5%, by weight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about0.1%, by weight.
 4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein theamount of xanthine is about 0.25%, by weight, and the amount ofmercapto-allopurinol is about 0.25%, by weight.
 5. A compositionaccording to claim 1, wherein the amount of xanthine is about 0.5%, byweight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about 0.5%, by weight.6. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount of xanthine isabout 1.5%, by weight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about0.5%, by weight.
 7. A composition according to claim 1, wherein theamount of xanthine is about 0.75%, by weight, and the amount ofmercapto-allopurinol is about 0.75%, by weight.
 8. A compositionaccording to claim 1, wherein the amount of xanthine is about 1.0%, byweight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about 1.0%, by weight.9. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the insect pest is acockroach.
 10. A method for controlling an insect pest which salvages,stores, or excretes its nitrogenous wastes via the purine metabolicpathway, which comprises bringing into contact with said insect pest, agrowth-controlling amount of a composition comprising xanthine, in anamount from about 0.05% to about 1.5%, by weight, andmercapto-allopurinol, in an amount from about 0.05% to about 1.0%, byweight.
 11. A composition according to claim 10, wherein the amount ofxanthine is about 0.05%, by weight, and the amount ofmercapto-allopurinol is about 0.1%, by weight.
 12. A compositionaccording to claim 10, wherein the amount of xanthine is about 0.5%, byweight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about 0.1%, by weight.13. A composition according to claim 10, wherein the amount of xanthineis about 0.25%, by weight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol isabout 0.25%, by weight.
 14. A composition according to claim 10, whereinthe amount of xanthine is about 0.25%, by weight, and the amount ofmercapto-allopurinol is about 0.5%, by weight.
 15. A compositionaccording to claim 10, wherein the amount of xanthine is about 1.5%, byweight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol is about 0.5%, by weight.16. A composition according to claim 10, wherein the amount of xanthineis about 0.75%, by weight, and the amount of mercapto-allopurinol isabout 0.75%, by weight.
 17. A composition according to claim 10, whereinthe amount of xanthine is about 1.0%, by weight, and the amount ofmercapto-allopurinol is about 1.0%, by weight.
 18. A method according toclaim 10, wherein the insect pest is a cockroach.